Experts: What to do if you’ve been made ill by exposure to the oil disaster

[Wilma Subra, environmental scientist, president of New Iberia-based Subra Co.] said that persons made ill by exposure to the oil spill could be treated by either being removed from area of exposure, with chelation therapy or herbal therapy, or with other measures depending on the nature of the illness. …

“What [the test results] tells us we had these individuals who had been made sick and it verifies that they had chemicals [in their blood] associated with the BP spill,” Subra said. “Mostly it tells is that they need to get to specialists to be able to deal with their illnesses that are associated with the chemicals from the BP spill.”

Subra and [Marylee Orr, founder of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network] said that those who suspect they might have been impacted by the spill could have their blood drawn at local health clinics, with the samples being forwarded to the designated testing center [Metametrix Clinical Laboratory of Duluth, Ga]. Testing results and documentation could determine the source of liability in these cases.

2 comments to Experts: What to do if you’ve been made ill by exposure to the oil disaster

Today GCCF told me that they will only pay me the out of pocket expences I have already have and not future ones. They dont pay anything to you exept your co pays or out of pocket expences. I said my pockets are empty and I need a doctor. The hospital is a small bill. They said if you need money to go to a doctor we don’t cover that!

BP has given millions of dollars to the states to promote Gulf seafood ($20 million to Florida), but can’t seem to find any money to help the residents who need medical care. The federal and state governments should be doing this testing and providing all necessary medical care. As far as I know, the Florida Department of Health has done absolutely nothing except to come up a policy in August that said the beaches were safe if tarballs could be “easily avoided”. One of the county health department administrators (I think it was Walton County), when asked about testing for VOC’s, was not even aware that there is such a test.